~by Haley Lynn Gray~
I asked the women in my Facebook group, the Women’s Entrepreneur Network, one question:
What is one piece of advice you would give to new entrepreneurs?
Dozens answered. Here’s what they said, grouped by theme — and at the end, the thing I noticed about which answers came up most.
Know what you’re doing this for
By some distance the most common answer.
Petra Monaco: Create a vision of what you want to create and be clear on your why. It will come in handy on those not-so-awesome days.
Angela Moore-McGrath: Know your why and have a passion for what you do.
Sara Adams: Whatever you decide to pursue, make sure it’s your dream. Make sure it’s something you love beyond measure, because when things get tough and you’ve got to grind through, you’ll need that love and that dream to keep you going.
Tara Louise: Spend time digging deep to really get to know the real you and your values. Make you and your values the heart of your business. It’s the only way it will work long term, and your intuition will let you know when you’re going off course.
Devan Spear: What’s your why? Write it down.
Start before you’re ready
Tandy R Elisala: Progress over perfection. Taking imperfect action is the way to grow. If you wait until everything is perfect, you’ll never get your business off the ground. And stay in your lane — the only opinion of yourself that matters is yours.
Lin Gorenkoff: You only have to do the first time once.
That second one is the best sentence in this entire collection, and it applies to every uncomfortable first — the first sales call, the first price rise, the first time you let someone go.
Expect it to be harder than you planned
Tammy Everts: It takes more time and money than you think.
Nathan Hirsch: Calculated risk is everything. It’s the difference between success and failure.
Alice Louise Taylor: Research and follow the habits of successful people. Duplication, tenacity, integrity and a good sense of humour will go a long way. Be committed — there will be tough times.
Andrea Joy Nussinow: Laugh a lot. Especially when you want to cry. And keep going, always.
Do the boring structural things
Megan Allen Tsui: Separate your business and personal finances immediately. Open a separate checking account and keep all receipts for business purchases, no matter how small. You’ll be glad you did come tax time.
Evangela Childs: Create a business vision that operates like a machine without you. Know your company roles and tasks.
TL Williams: Treat your business like a business every day. Every day, do something to move it forward.
Alison Cummings Zajac: Differentiate yourself and your products before you go to market. If your stuff is the same as everyone else’s, do some soul searching about how and why you’re different.
Shannon Matthews: Start with your branding first and create a solid foundation.
I’ll note that I’d argue with that last one — I think branding early is where a lot of money goes to die. But Shannon runs a design business and sees the other side of it, which is exactly why it’s here rather than edited out.
Look after yourself, and don’t do it alone
Maria Lironi: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You don’t have to do all the work by yourself.
Jo Hausman: Always remember to take care of you. Your business is very important, but if you’re not well, your business won’t be either.
Bethany Pelts Smisson: Stay focused on yourself and what you’re doing, and stop comparing yourself to other people.
Leslie Wright: Be dedicated to reaching your goals even if you don’t have a cheer team. Be your own motivation. You’re enough.
What I noticed
Two things, reading them all together.
“Know your why” was the most common answer by a wide margin. Five people said versions of it independently. That’s interesting, because it’s also the least actionable advice here — you can’t do it on a Tuesday afternoon.
I suspect what they’re actually describing is the thing that kept them going through a period where nothing worked. Which makes it less a starting instruction and more a survival mechanism. Worth having, but it won’t get you a client.
The most practically useful answer got one vote. Tammy’s “it takes more time and money than you think” is the single piece of advice most likely to change what a new owner actually does — because it changes how much runway they set aside and how long they’re prepared to persist.
And nobody mentioned a logo, a website, or a course.
The people who’ve done this remember the runway, the loneliness, the self-care they skipped, and the fact that starting badly beats not starting. Nothing about presentation.
That’s probably the most useful thing in the whole collection.
My thanks to everyone who contributed.
More on what to set up before you start and what not to spend money on.
About the author
Haley Lynn Gray is the founder of Leadership Girl, of In2itive Biz Solutions, and of the Women’s Entrepreneur Network — a community of more than 77,000 women in business.
She writes here about what happens when running a business starts demanding that you lead one. More about Haley →
